Pampanga lawmaker faces graft complaint

MANILA, Philippines — A graft complaint has been filed against Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga third district Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr.

Terence Napao, barangay chairman of Sto. Cristo in Mexico, Pampanga, filed the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for Luzon on Sept. 8, saying Gonzales must be held liable over his unlawful interests in a family-owned construction firm that bagged contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways.

DPWH Central Luzon office regional director Roseller Tolentino, bids and awards committee chairman Ignacio Evangelista, BAC secretariat Anna Marie Tayag and BAC vice chairman Arthur Santos were included in the charge sheet.

Gonzales’ family members and officials of A.D. Gonzales Jr. Construction & Trading Co. Inc. were also named respondents. They are ADG president and San Fernando Councilor Aurelio Brenz Gonzales, vice president Aurelio Gonzales III, provincial board member and secretary-treasurer Alyssa Michaela Gonzales and directors Aurelio Michaeline Gonzales and Zenaida Quiambao.

Napao said Gonzales should be held liable for violating Section 3 (e) of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits public officials from giving unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference to a private party or from causing any party, including the government, undue injury.

The congressman was also accused of violating Section 3 (h) of RA 3019, which prohibits public officials from directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or transaction with the government.

Napao said ADG bagged contracts in connection with the DPWH’S flood control programs in San Fernando, Bacolor and Mexico worth P611.578 million.

Napao said that based on the ADG’s registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1993, Gonzales was among the company’s incorporators and owned 77 percent of the shares.

He said Gonzales was company president until 2015, and held 25 percent shares.

Napao pointed out that while Gonzales no longer had any position with the company at the time of the bidding and awarding of the contracts, the shareholders, officers and directors of the corporation are his children and immediate family members.